Device for rendering doors self-closing.



A. ZEMPLINER. DEVICE POR RENDERING DOORS SELF CLOSING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1911.

Patented NOV. 21, 1911.

\^i Vmw sans ALFRED ZEMPLINER, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

DEVICE FOR RENDERING DOORS SELF-CLOSING.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1911.

Application led May 18, 1911. Serial No. 628,105.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED ZEMPLINER, residing at 11 Halbgasse, atVienna, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a subject of the Emperor ofAustria-Hungary, have invented a new and useful Device for RenderingDoors Self-Closing, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to devices for rendering doors self-closingby means of gravity', the weight of the door being available whencombined with an inclinedA of the inclined surface.

The invention is applicable to doors adapted to be swung either one wayor both ways and further serves as a hinge at the base of the door.

I attain these objects by the -construction and arrangement of partsshown in the accompanying drawings, in which?- Figure l is a sectionalview transversely through a portion of a door and its casing,

fitted with a device embodying my invention and taken substantially onthe line A-B of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantiallyon the line C-D of Fig. l.

Similar characters refer to similar parts throughout the views.

The drawing illustrates the application of my invention to swingingdoors although the same may be applied to doors which are limited toswing in but one direction with reference to the wall they are includedin.

In the drawings, a indicates a portion of the outer stile of a door neXtto the casing d, and at the part where the door swings. A plate b isadapted for attachment to the under side of the door and is providedwith a ball-receiving socket 7L, in which a ball i of subst-antially thesize of the socket, is con` ned. As shown in Fig. 2 the socket i may bereduced as at z" to retain a supplementary ball L which contacts withthe ball h and concentrates the weight of the door at this portion.Below the door stationary plates el and e2, mounted on the floor, areprovided with inclined surfaces g1 and g2 which are complementallyformed diverging upwardly from the center line of the door when closed.Plate is provided with downwardly projecting pins c, and c2 at bothsides of the face of the door and which are guided in slots f1 and f2ofthe plates e, and e2, respectively. The pins form pivot points uponwhich the door is swung and the slots are described concentric with thepin opposite to that pin which is guided therein, that is, the slot f1is concentric with the pin 02 when the latter is in the normal position,and similarly slot f2 is concentric with the pin c1. Then the door isopened one pin remains at thevend of the slot, serving as a pivotpoint,rwhile the other pin moves in the slot concentric with the pivotpoint. By this construction the pin serving as a pivot point is retainedagainst displacement by the movable pin guided in the slot.

As indicated in Fig. l, the ball z' is equidistant from the pins c, andc, and its path of movement is coincident with the slotf1 and f2 so thatthe ball moves upon the upper margins of the slots through a portion ofthe arc of movement when the door is swung substantially a quarter turnor 900. The ball thus aids in retaining the pivot point of the door inplace, the slots f, and f2 being upwardly inclined and merge into theinclined surfaces g1 and g2 at n, and a2, respectively, for permittingthe ball to move smoothly thereto.

In order to adapt the device to different size doors, or to doors builtup of material of diiierent specific gravity, the degree of inclinationwith the horizontal of the inclined surfaces g1 and g2, may be increasedor decreased to attain free and easy closing of the doorwithoutslamming. This is attained by retaining that portion of theplates e, and c2 near the lateral margin, by means of bolts m, which areprovided with collars m, below the head thereof. The head and collar litin a complementary formed recess 1 in the plates e, and 6. and byraising or lowering the bolt the collar thereof transmits such motion tothe plate, the head of the bolt fitting closely the receiving portion ofthe recess 1^ to prevent movement of the plates laterally. The upperportion 7e of the recess 1' is circular in plan and concave in section,forming a reception for the ball z' when the door is opened wide andserves to retain the door in an open position when such is desired.

The operation of the device is as follows Assuming that the door isdrawn forward in a direction indicated by an arrow, the door swings onpin c2 retained in the end of the slot f2, while the pin c1 and ball z'travel in slot f1. The pint'2 is held from displacement by the pin c1and the ball z' through a movement of the door. When the door is openedthe same is raised through the ball z' rolling on the inclined surfaceg2 and should it be desired to retain. t-he door in an open position,the door is swung sufliciently to allow the ball to rest in the socket76,. When the door is released it returns 'by gravity to a closedposition.

I claim 1. A device for rendering doors self-clos ing, comprising incombination, a plate fixed to the lower side of the door and providedwith a ball receiving socket, a ball of substantially the size of saidsocket and carried thereby, a base plate mounted on the Hoor below thedoor and in a position to be traveled upon by said ball, said base platebeing provided with an inclined surface described concentric with Athepivot point of said door and rising from that portion of the plate inalinement with the door when closed, and means for tilt-ing said platewhereby the degree of inclination of said inclined surface may beadjusted with respect to the door.

2. A device for swing doors comprising in combination, a plate carriedby the door and provided with downwardly projecting pins arranged atopposite sides of the face of the door and a ball receiving socket, aball carried by saidsocket, and a base structure, carried by the Hoor,provided with inclined surfaces diverging upwardly from a portion of thebase in alinement with the door when closed, and guide ways for saidpins and ball, each guide way being arranged concentric to the pinopposite to that which moves therein and coincident with the path ofmovement of said ball whereby the pin serving as a pivot point isretained in place as such during movement of the door.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED ZEMPLINER.

Witnesses TRAUNER KARL, AUGUST FUGGER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

